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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. key — the most important part
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. face — to point toward
  6. fall — the season
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bound — obliged
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fall — to drop
  12. key — for a lock
  13. degree — an amount
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. face — to confront
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. game — a match
  19. fine — all right
  20. degree — from a university
  21. fine — high quality
  22. key — in music
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. degree — temperature

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com